Just a little about me: I’m 53, I left school without a single “O” level to my name, but I did know which direction I wanted to go, I had this cunning plan. I joined the British Army. That didn’t last long as I was injured before I had completed my basic training.

Go directly to Plan “B” which had me completing an apprenticeship at the local college and spending the next 13 years climbing to the dizzy heights of a workshop manager. Along the way I worked for a couple of people in the motor racing world, Martin Brundle and Jim Russell.

At the age of 29 I realised this wasn’t what I wanted to do, with lots of pressure and long hours without a decent pay cheque. I turned to training and teaching and have spent the last 23 years in that world. That move led to even more pressure and long hours and although the pay is better, I still answer to the boss. I’m told that I can study for 3 years to gain a degree that will eventually gain me another $5,000 or $6,600 per year. I could also use those 3 years of my own spare time to commit to something completely new working for myself and just maybe become financially free, which will take substantially more than $6,600 a year!

Over the last 10 years my wife and I have had some successes and some failures with Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) and catalogue businesses. Unfortunately it was back to square one again in each case, with long hours and relying on other people’s motivation to increase our own success and ultimately for us at least, a limited income. I finally realised – a true ‘light bulb’ moment you could say “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me!”, in other words if I’m to be truly successful it has to come from me (or in this case my brother and I). I’ve had some success on eBay in recent years but the shortcomings with that business model are being reliant on packing and shipping whatever product that is sold and knowing that there are only so many hours in any working day and the margins are getting tighter all the time!

So off we went again in search of a different business model.

It is becoming ever more important for the hard-pressed ‘High Street’ shops & local businesses to get decent footfall and ensure that local people are aware of the local businesses that are all around them. We have launched Reality Designs to address this issue. Google has shifted its’ business model to more readily assist this market… we are picking up the Local, Mobile & Video Marketing baton and running with it…